Food assistance program for seniors

Staff Reports
TURLOCK JOURNAL

POSTEDNovember 4, 2011 9:28 p.m.

The American Association of Retired Persons, the Stanislaus County Area Office on Aging, and Second Harvest Food Bank will hold a Senior Benefits Enrollment Fair on Nov. 17 to help eligible older adults enroll in the CalFresh program, formerly known as Food Stamps.The enrollment fair will be from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 17 at Harvest Hall at 3800 Cornucopia Way in Modesto. To enroll, attendees should bring: Proof of identification; rent receipts or mortgage statement; current utility bills; paystubs for the past 30 days; household income from all sources, including Social Security, SSI, public or general assistance.Attendees can also apply for Medi-Cal and Medicare.CalFresh benefits are issued on an electronic benefit transfer card. The EBT cards can be used at most grocery stores, neighborhood stores, and farmers' markets. According to a 2010 report by the California Food Policy Advocates, more than 30,000 eligible Stanislaus County residents have yet to register for the program. In California, only one in ten eligible seniors participates. The most common reason is that they don't realize they may be eligible. Call 558-8698 for more information or to enquire about free transportation.